USA > New Jersey > Union County > Elizabeth > History of Elizabeth, New Jersey : including the early history of Union County > Part 46
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The Board of Trustees, for some unexplained reason, with the exception of Moses Ogden, resigned their places, two of them, however, having recently been chosen Elders. A new Board was chosen, December 23, 1765, composed of Moses Ogden, John Blanchard, Merchant, Elias Boudinot, Esq., Jonathan Williams, William Harriman, Benjamin Spinning, and Captain Elias Dayton. Elias Boudinot was chosen President.t
At the election of a new Sexton, March 24, 1766, the duties of the incumbent, William Woodruff, were defined with great particularity, from which much may be learned of the worshiping assemblies of that period.
* Stearns' Newark, pp. 227, S. + Trustees' Book.
# "1st. He must attend the Ringing of the Bell at all proper Seasons when Divine Service is to be Performed and to open Doors and Windows when necessary.
2d. He is once every fortnight at least, to take Care that the Church be thoroughly swept out, Seats & Isles ; and that the Benches and Tops of the Seats be afterwards well & neatly dusted off.
8d. Once every three months the Alleys below the Pulpit Stairs and Gallery Stairs must be Washed out and well sanded, and this to be done the Beginning of the Week in order to be thoroughly Dry the Sunday following
4th. For Evening Lectures You are to get the Candles, Such as the Trustees shall direct & Illuminate the Church in Every part, where places are or Shall be Provided to receive Candles. And at the Conclusion of Prayer before Sermon, you are immediately to go up and Snuff the Pulpit Candles & the rest of the Candles in the Church. When you Judge the Sermon to be about half finished you are once more to Snuff the Candles in the Pulpit, and at the Clerks Desk : Now and at all other times, when there is Occasion, for your going about in time of Service to walk as Softly and lightly as l'ossible
5thly. You are to be very Careful of the Silk Hangings & Cushion that they receive no Injury by Dust Spots or otherwise and to fold them Smoothly to prevent Wrinkling; These are to be Used only in the Day tlmne; You are to put them up just before you Ring the first Bell; on the Sunday Morning & to take them Down after Service in the Afternoon and to Lock them up in the place Provided: Then you are to put up the Brass Arms & Velvet Cushion which with the Bible you must cover from the Dust, whenever, the Church is to be
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THE HISTORY OF
Measures were taken, in May, 1766, at a meeting of the congregation, to enlarge the house of worship by an addition to the length, in the rear, of not less than sixteen feet, and
Swept. You are also to Observe not to put up the Hangings for the Clerks Desk, on the Morning of Communion Days
6d. You are to See that the Pulpit Door be always Opened ready for the Ministers En- trance & the Bible opened on the Cushion. That the Doors of the Church be kept Sbut in Cold & bad Weather after Prayer is begun-And Near the Conclusion of the last Psalm that you throw open all the Doors that the Congregation may readily pass out
7d. When Strangers come in, Men or Women, who appear to be at any Loss for a Seat, you are Immediately to direct them to the Strangers Seat and if that should be full you are to Shew them any other Seat in the Church where you Judge there will be most Room, whither among the New or Old Seats
8d. All Notes that shall be delivered to you for the Minister Requesting prayers, you are to carry up to him while the first Psam is Singing
9d. When you Observe any one or more of the Collectors of the Contribution to be absent you are to take one or more of the Boxes, while the last Psalm is Singing, and Carry the same to other of the Elders or Deacons present to Collect in the Room of Such Absentee, telling them in whose Room that such Person may know where to Collect
10d. You are to prevent as much as in you lies all Undue Noises and Disorders, and Suffer no White Boys or Girls to be Standing or Setting on the Gallery or Pulpit Stairs-or any. to play or Continue out of doors during divine Service-And to stop their running out untill the Blessing is given And if at any time you cannot prevent unruly behaviour during Service you are Immediately to Step to one of the Magistrates or Elders present & Inform them of the same-
11d. You are Always to take your own Seat in the Pew on the left side of the Front Door as the most convenient for your Observing every thing that passes within & without Doors & where any one of the Congregation who may have Occasion to Speak to you may alway readily find you-
12d. You are to keep the Church carefully locked up when there is no Service, and all the Windows shut and to be Answerable for any Damage received throw your Neglect,
13d. You are Weekly to wind up & Regulate the Church clock and whenever out of order . to give Notice to one of the Trustees
14d You are to Notify Meetings of the Trustees to the several Members whenever required by the President
15d You are to attend any little Services about the Church or Clock whenever Necessary or required by the President of Trustees, for the Time being, and to Perform every Duty belonging to & usually performed by the Sexton of a Church
16d You are Carefully to Oserve in the burial of the Dead to keep the Bodies of the Respective particular Families of the Congregation together as much as possibly can be done
17d You are not to Suffer any person to dig a Grave in the Burying Yard without your Marking out the Spot, Nor are you to Suffer any Person not of the Congregation to be Interred in the Yard, Without the liberty of one of the Trustees
1Sd You are to receive no higher Fees for your Services than the Following
For Ringing the Bell for a funeral
3.6
For inviting to a Funeral
3.6
For diging a Grave according to the size of the Body from 0.2.6. to 7.0
For Marking out the Spot for another to dig
1.0
For diging a Grave in the Church according to Size from 0.5. to
10.0
To receive for the Trustees for a Grave in Church for an Adult £3
Do for a Youth 2
Do for an Infant 1.10 "
The only compensation for all these services, was to be "the Sum of Thirty Nine Shil- lings pr Annum ; and the usual perquisites ; " the latter including, probably, only the above fees .- Joseph Miller was appointed Sexton in 1667, at a salary of £5 .- Trustees' Book.
519
ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
to cover the whole roof with new shingles ; the money, to defray the expense, to be raised by subscription; and the Building Committee to consist of Messrs. Samuel Woodruff, Win. Peartree Smith, Samuel Wood, Benjamin Spinning, Elias Dayton and Jonathan Williams.
Mr. Woodruff was directed, a few months later, to repair the roof of the steeple, "to amend the Ball and Cock on the Top of the Steeple," to make a "Cieling over the Bell and also paint the Rails & moldings of the Bellfry white." Something may be gathered, from these records, as to the appearance of the steeple .*
Hitherto, the current expenses of the Congregation had been met, by collections taken at each public service on the · Sabbath; and punctually every Monday Mr. Caldwell was paid, as the Treasurer's accounts show, his weekly rate of £3.1.63. In May, 1667, however, it was resolved to offer the pews in the enlarged building at public vendue agreeable to certain fixed rates, the rents to be paid quarterly.t
Allusion has been made, on a previous page, to the grammar-school, in this town, taught by Tapping Reeve, afterwards the son-in-law of President Burr, and Principal of the celebrated Law School of Litchfield, Ct. This school was commenced in the autumn of 1766, by Messrs. Reeve and Pemberton. Mr. Reeve was the son of the Rev. Abner Reeve, and was born at Fire Place, Brookhaven, L. I., October 17, 1744. He graduated at Princeton in 1763, and shortly after was employed by Mr. Timothy Edwards of this town, as a private tutor to the two children of his deceased sister Burr, and so became a member of Mr. Edwards' family. Ebenezer Pemberton was the son of the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, D. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of New York, where he was born in 1746. In 1753 the family removed to Boston, but the father still retaining his love for the College of New Jersey, of which he was one of the founders, sent his, son to Princeton to be educated, where, with his classmates, Jonathan Edwards, Robert Ogden and Jonathan Ogden, (the last two of this town, and
* Trustees' Book.
t Ibid.
520
THE HISTORY OF
the first one a brother of a citizen of this town), he grad- uated in 1765. It is easy to see how Pemberton (afterwards one of the most eminent teachers of New England) was brought here .*
As was to be expected, the school succeeded ; and, in March, 1767, Reeve and Pemberton, Masters of the Grammar School in Elizabeth Town, "inform the public that they con- tinue to teach the Greek and Latin Language," and that " a commodious House is provided in the centre of the Town for the accommodation of a large School ; " also that " Gentlemen of Education in the town will frequently visit the School." The terms were £5 per annum, and 20s. entrance, for tuition. Board to be had in good families for £20 a year.
The better to accommodate this school and to give it per- manency, "diverse well-disposed persons" subscribed the sum of seventy pounds, payable to the Trustees of the Pres- byterian church of this town, in trust for the building of a School-House, where the said Trustees should order. The trust was accepted, Aug. 24, 1767, and it was ordered,-
That a proper House be erected on the uppermost end of the Burial Yard Lot Under the Care of Messrs. [Wm. P.] Smith & Spinning of this Board and Dr Wm Barnet & Nehemiah Wade of the congregation.
Any deficiencies, should the subscriptions made or to be made prove inadequate, were to be paid out of Mr. Joseph Ogden's legacy of £100. It was
Voted That the Revd Dr Chandler, the Revd Mr Caldwell, Mess's John Chetwood, Timothy Edwards, & Elias Boudinot & Wm P. Smith be Re- quested to undertake the Business of Visiting the sª Grammar School during the first year, .... once a Quarter or oftner if they think proper.
Such was the origin of the Academy, [built of wood with a cupola], that formerly occupied the site of the Lecture Room of the First Presbyterian Church, and that was de- stroyed by the torch of the enemy, Feb. 25, 1779. Mr. Pem- berton left the school in the spring for a tutorship at Prince- ton, and Mr. Reeve, in the autumn of 1769. They were suc- ceeded by Mr. Joseph Pèriam, (born in 1742), a graduate of
* Holt's N. Y. Journal, No. 1241. Davis' Life of Burr, I. 26.
521
ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
the College of New Jersey in 1762, and " distinguished by a profound acquaintance with mathematics and natural philos- ophy." The Rev. Dr. Samuel Spring, who formed his ac- quaintance at Princeton "could never mention his name without admiration." In 1765, he was Tutor of the College; also, in 1767 and 8. The intermediate year was occupied with the care of a school at Princeton. Mr. Periam con- tinued in charge of the school in this town for two years. In 1772-3, he studied theology, with the Rev. Dr. Bellamy, of Bethlehem, Ct .; was licensed by the Presbytery of New York, in 1774, but the license was withdrawn in 1775; was appointed, in 1776, Quarter Master of the First Battalion [Col. Ogden's] of the Jersey Brigade ; resumed the charge of the Academy of this Town, June 1, 1778, where he con- tinued, until his death, which occurred suddenly, Sunday morning, Oct. 8th, 1780 .*
Mr. Francis Barber took charge of the school, Nov. 1, 1771, and continued in this service until the commencement of the war. Mr. Samuel Baldwin, of Newark, who gradu- ated at Princeton, in 1770, (with Messrs. John C. Ogden and Matthias Williamson of this town), being then only 16 years of age, was shortly after appointed an usher, probably after Mr. Barber took the charge. Alexander Hamilton, then a lad of fourteen, from the West Indies, was, at this time, one of the pupils. Mr. Baldwin lived until the year 1850. +
Among the measures adopted to resist the appointment of American Bishops, the Consociated churches of Connecticut
* Trustees' Book. Dr. Spring's Reminiscences, I. 13. II. 234-6. Holt's N. Y. Journal, No. 1240. N. J. Gazette, No. 26. N. J. Journal, Nos. 83, S6. Rev. Jed. Chapman, of " New- ark Mountains," Aug. 14, 1772, writes to Rev. Dr. Bellamy, as follows : " I have just an oppor- tunity to write a line by Mr, Perriam, who was formerly a tutor at Prince Town Colledge; he is a very ingenions young gentleman-I trust a truly humble and pious Christian; one whom I greatly love and esteem; a steady zealous friend to truth. Ile comes with the de - sign to spend some time in the study of divinity with you, and I trust upon acquaintance with him you will be pleased and think it of great importance to encourage and forward him." Dr. Bollamy writes to his son, Feb. 6. 1773, " Mr. Periam has become a very serions man since you saw him." Proceedings of N. Y. His. Soc., VI. 175. His licenso was with- drawn, probably, because of his advocacy of the visionary imumaterialistic theory of Bishop Berkley, with which he was greatly enraptured. His widow, Elizabeth, also born in 1742, survived until April 5th, 1503. Their son, Joseph, was, for many years, a successful teacher in this town.
t Trustees' Book. Proceedings of N. J. II. Soc., II.
· 522
THE HISTORY OF
and the Synod of New York and Philadelphia proposed to hold a Joint Convention at New York, November 5, 1766. The prevalence of the smallpox at New York in September led to a change of place, and it was then agreed to hold the first meeting in this town .*
Thus it came to pass, that, each alternate year, until the object of the Union was effected, by the severance of the Colonies from the sovereignty of Great Britain, and their assumption of Independence, the Convention met and delib- erated, in the church of the sainted Dickinson, (that most vigorous and successful advocate of ministerial parity), and in full sight of the Rectory of St. John's, where lived the Rev. Dr. Chandler, the recognized leader of the Episcopal party. +
In May, 1769, Mr. Caldwell was appointed by the Synod, to go with the Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, and "endeavour to obtain subscriptions for the college in the lower parts of Vir- ginia ; " his pulpit to be supplied in his absence by the Pres- bytery. The same year he was chosen one of the Trustees of the college.
In April, 1771, it was voted by the congregation, to raise Mr. Caldwell's salary by subscription. Also, that Samuel Williams, Isaac Arnet, Jonathan Price, Nathan Woodruff, Jonathan Williams, Nehemiah Wade, Joseph Hainds, David Woodruff, David Ogden, Abraham Woodruff, James Car- micthel, Benjamin Winans, Daniel Price, Joseph Meeker, Benjamin Spinning, and Daniel Sayres, be appointed " to re- main at the Church between meetings for one Sabbath in order to Keep Silence & Christian Discipline, two at a time in the Year. §
It was also voted, by the congregation, April 24, 1772, to pay the expences incurred, by Mr. Caldwell and Elder Mat- thias Hatfield, in their attendance on Synod, in May, 1771, amounting to £5. 13. 0, and that such be the standing rule for the future.
* Records of the Presb. Chh., pp. 363-4. Minutes of the Convention, pp. 5-8.
+ Minutes of the Convention, pp. 8-17. The Minutes were published, at Hartford, Ct., in 1843, by order of the General Association of Ct.
# Records of the Presb. Chh., p. 397.
§ Trustees' Book.
523
ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
The following record shows by whom the affairs of the church and congregation were now administered :-
At a Meating of the Deacons Elders Trustees & Committy of the first presbyterion Church in Elizabeth Town by order of the president at his house on 17th Novr. 1774 Isaac Woodruff, president, Jonathan Williams, Caleb IIalsted, David Ogden, Isaac Arnett, Jonathan Price, Trustees ;- Daniel Halsey, David Chandler, Ezekiel Woodruff, Eber Price, Isaac Heatfield, Committy ;- Deacon [Robert] Ogden, Deacon [Matthias] Heatfield, Deacon [David] Whitehead, Deacon [Oliver] Spencer ; Cornelius Heatfield, John Potter, Sam1. Williams, Benj". Winans, Elders
it was then Concluded that They would Trie to Rase Mr. Caldwell Sallery to Two hundred pounds for the present year, & it was also Agreed to Rase money by Subscriptions to pay for Repairing the Steple & all other Old Debts of the Congregation, & to be out of Debt one more.
On the return of Mr. Caldwell from Virginia, after an ab- sence of several months, at the close of 1769, he found some young men of his church unusually stirred up to promote a revival of religion. A catechetical lecture was commenced, resulting in the awakening of several persons. Every Mon- day evening was then set apart for prayer and conference. Backsliders were restored, and the careless aroused. Seasons of fasting were observed. A Sabbath evening lecture was established, and was attended by great numbers from all quarters, impressed often to tears, and some of every age and character awakened. Religious societies were held in every part of the town, numbering, in 1771, eleven, and, in 1772, twenty. A great reformation followed, ex- tending to other towns in the neighborhood, Mr. Caldwell being sent for to aid in promoting the work in other churches. In 1771, fifty, and, in 1772, sixty converts were added to the First Presbyterian Church. A deeply inter- esting account of this work of grace, written, probably, by Elder Joseph] L[yon], April 28, 1773, is found in Dr. Murray's Notes on E. Town, pp. 137-151, printed from a manuscript found in the library of the Old South Church, Boston, Mass.
* Trustees' Book. In April, 1776, the congregation voted that "the Sallery " should be £180, pr year.
.
524
THE HISTORY OF
Charges were preferred to the Presbytery, Oct. 10, 1775, by Messrs. Stephen Morehouse, Daniel Price, and David Chandler, affecting the orthodoxy of their pastor, Mr. Cald- well ; which, however, were found to be of trivial import, and not affecting at all his soundness in the faith .*
Whatever "uneasiness " may have grown out of this mat- ter, it was speedily forgotten in the rush of events that pre- ceded and precipitated the War of the Revolution. On the questions then at issue, Mr. Caldwell's position was matter of public notoriety. He waited not to learn how the strug- gle was likely to terminate. His ardent temperament was roused at the very outset, to do and dare all that man could for his country, for liberty, for independence. It appeared in all his prayers, often in his sermons and exhortations, and in all his pastoral intercourse. No religious society in the land took a bolder, nobler stand, and few were more effi- cient, for their country's cause, than Mr. Caldwell's,-and not a little of it was owing to the patriotism and fervent zeal of their most energetic pastor. Among his congregation, at the commencement of the Revolution, were such inen as Wm. Livingston, the noble Governor of the State ; Elias Boudinot; afterwards President of the Continental Congress ; Abraham Clark, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence ; the Hon. Robert Ogden, (Speaker of the Assembly, at an earlier day), with his three sons, Robert, Matthias, and Aaron, the last two distinguished officers in the U. S. Army ; the Hon. Stephen Crane, Speaker of the Assembly ; Elias Dayton and his son Jonathan, both of them sub- sequently General Officers of the Army, and the latter Speaker of Congress ; Wm. Peartree Smith, one of the most distinguished civilians of the day; Oliver Spencer and Francis Barber, both of them Colonels of the Jersey Brigade ;- and other such, not a few. From this one con- gregation went forth about forty commissioned officers (not
* Records of the Presb. of N. York, I. 148-151. One of the complainants, David Chandler, not only deemed himself wiser than his pastor, but regarded himself also as a poet. In 1814, was published a tract of 21 pages, entitled "The Miscellaneous Works of David Chandler, Elizabeth-Town, New-Jersey." It contains 27 stanzas on the burning of the E. Town Meet- ing House, Jan. 25, 1780 ; 18 stanzas on the death of Mr. Caldwell; and eleven other pieces in rhyme, on a variety of subjects, religious and political; all rather of the doggrel sort.
525
ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
to speak of non-commissioned officers and privates), to fight the battles of Independence .*
In April, 1776, Col. Dayton's regiment, that had been quartered in the town during the preceding winter, received orders to march for the relief of the northern army then be- sieging Quebec. As most of the officers and many of the privates were members of Mr. Caldwell's congregation, an ardent desire was expressed for his services as their Chaplain. Lieut. Elmer, in his Diary, Ap. 28th, says,-
Members of the [Presbyterian] meeting set about Mr. Caldwell's going to Quebec with us, which was agreed on 'after some debate. Drank tea at Col. Dayton's; then went to Major Spencer's to lodge.t
So it was determined that Mr. Caldwell, whose consent was readily obtained, should accompany his townsmen on their northern expedition. The troops left the town the following day. But "Colonel Dayton and Parson Caldwell " did not join them until Saturday, May 11th, at Albany, N. Y. .
The Jersey brigade, to which the regiment was attached, was stationed, the most of the season, in the Mohawk Valley. On the 16th of June, Mr. Caldwell was at Johnstown, and preached twice ; on the 30th, and through the month of July, at German flats, preaching ordinarily twice every Sab- bath, and taking an active part in military operations. In July, as already related, the British troops had taken pos- session of Staten Island, the people of the town became greatly alarmed for their personal safety, and their relatives in the Northern army became exceedingly anxious for their
* "The following members of Mr. Caldwell's congregation were commissioned officers in the Army of the Revolution:
Gov. Wm. Livingston,
Capt. David Lyon,
Ilon. Elias Boudinot, Gen. Elias Dayton,
Capt. Jeremiah Ballard, Capt. Shepard Kollock,
Lieut. James Wilcox,
Lieut. Edmund Thomas,
Gen. Matthias Ogden,
Capt. Samuel Harriman, Capt. Jonathan Pierson,
Lieut. William Ramsen,
Gen. William Crane,
Capt. Obadiah Meeker; Capt. David Woodruff,
Col. Aaron Ogden, Col. Oliver Spencer, Capt. Matthias Lyon,
Col. Francis Barber,
Capt. Lewis Woodruff,
Maj. William Shute,
Capt. Wm. Brittin,
Q. Mas. Joseph Periam,
Q. M. Matthias Halstead,
Maj. Nehemiah Wade,
Capt. John Clawson,
Maj. Ezekiel Woodruff, Maj. John Ross,
Capt. Cyrus De Hart,
Q. Mas. William Woodruff, and probably others.
t Proceedings of N. J. IIis. Soc., II. 101.
Lieut. Ephraim Woodruff, Lieut. Aaron Hatfield,
Gen. Jonathan Dayton,
Lieut. Moses Ogden, Lieut. John Van Dyke, Lieut. Thomas Clark, - Surgeon William Barnet,
Maj. Thomas Morrell, Capt. Benjamin Winans,
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THE HISTORY OF
friends at home. Early in the autumn, Mr. Caldwell, there- fore, returned to his family and people, where his services were pressingly needed. On the retreat of the American, and the advance of the British, Army, the last week of No- vember, 1776, Mr. Caldwell took his family up into the mountains, and found a retreat for them in that part of the town, then called Turkey, and now New Providence. Ref- erence has been made, on a previous page, to his correspond- ing, while here, with Gen. Washington, and the complimen- tary notice given of him, by the latter, to Congress : Also to his correspondence with General Lee, the day before the capture, of that officer at Baskingridge .*
From this time forward, Mr. Caldwell was occupied, more or less continually in the service of the country, to the close of his life. The enemy having evacuated the town at the close of the first week in January, he returned to his charge, and resumed his ministration, mingling the duties of the pastor and the soldier together, as circumstances required. The Journals of Congress show that, on March 15th, 1777, two hundred dollars were ordered to be "paid Rev. James Caldwell of Elizabeth Town for extraordinary services." On the 27th of May, $4,873.54 were ordered to be " paid Rev. James Caldwell, for the services of a company of light horse of Essex Co., in the State of New Jersey, commanded by Capt. Jacob Wynans, their horse hire and expenses." +
At various times through the long years of the War, during which his congregation was greatly scattered, and their means of subsistence, for the most part, were consid- erably diminished, Mr. Caldwell served not only as Chaplain of the Jersey Brigade, but as Assistant Commissary General. From the first of April, 1777, to April, 1779, instead of a regular salary he received for his pastoral services only what was contributed by the congregation on the Sabbath. On the morning of the 25th of February, 1779, the old parsonage- house, (a long low red shingle-covered building, two stories high in front, and one in the rear), was destroyed by the
* Proceedings of His. Soc. of N. J., II. 126, 133, 138, 144, 155, 165.
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